SOPA-like ACTA bill revealed

Posted January 23, 2012 by Luke Stratford in Industry News, News.

Hidden for 6 years, a SOPA-style bill for Europe, ACTA, has been uncovered.

If you thought it was safe to take a step back and enjoy the temparary reprieve that the Obama administration has afforded us from the spectacularly invasive SOPA bill, think again. A bill set to affect many of the same rights as the SOPA bill, aimed that not only Europe, but Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico and New Zealand, has only now been brought to light – despite being under development since 2006, only leaking out via WikiLeaks in 2008.

Put together away from the the public eye, the ACTA bill (the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) has been criticised for its ability to grant the same privacy-violating rights to rights holders as SOPA, allowing them to bypass the typical processes to attack users directly.

Naturally, backing for ACTA has been heavily US-influenced – as the US Embassador Susan C. Schwab and five members of Congress made their intentions clear back in 2007 at the ‘Congressional Caucus on Intellectual Property and Piracy Prevention’:

‘We hope and believe that others will join over time, marking an emerging consensus on stronger IP enforcement. All who share our ambition nd commitment to stronger IPR enforcement are welcome.’

In short, come one, come all. Allowing the rights holders to choose between claiming pre-set or calculated damages (ranging from ‘reasonable’ to the cost of legally acquiring the IP for use – which in itself can be an intangible sum. This is the shot that were were never intended to see coming until it was too late, and it’s only now that SOPA has drawn out the opposition, that we can effectively fight it.

Want to help? Check out the Stop ACTA website, register your opposition and make yourself heard.

Tagged as ACTA, Canada, Europe, SOPA